Town News Briefing

February 07, 2003

AREAWIDE

Rock Group Bumps

Police Dog From Show

Montana will have to wait for his television debut.

The German shepherd, a retired police dog, was scheduled to be on ``Late Night with David Letterman'' Thursday night during the ``Stupid Pet Tricks'' segment, but was bumped because producers couldn't fit a Ford Crown Victoria in the studio. The Pretenders, who also were performing Thursday, used too much space.

Montana's trick is to unlatch the handle of a Crown Victoria, nudge the door open with his head, jump inside and close it with his paws. His owner, Bill Kewer, who is the resident state trooper in Colchester, spent two days in New York this week, only to learn that Montana wouldn't go on.

``He is in consideration for the next segment,'' said Kim Izzo of the Letterman show. Izzo said the producers liked Montana's trick and would try to get him on the show when a band was not performing and there was enough room to put a car into the studio.

Three other acts appeared on the show instead, including a dog who can get a beer out of the refrigerator, another dog that can ride a skateboard and a bird that does somersaults.

GLASTONBURY

Public Hearing Set

On Town Budget

GLASTONBURY -- The board of finance will hold a public hearing on the town's $99.64 million budget Monday. It is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. in town hall Meeting Room A on the main level.

The budget represents an increase of about 9 percent over this year. The budget, affected by higher costs of health insurance and pension contributions, includes $29.84 million for town operations along with $8.13 million for debt service and transfers. The board of education budget calls for $61.67 million in spending, a 9.6 percent increase.

GLASTONBURY

Man Charged With

Disorderly Conduct

GLASTONBURY -- A Main Street resident was arrested Wednesday in connection with an incident Nov. 12 in which a bottle was thrown at a 4-year-old boy, police said.

Police said John Hacker, 35, of 287 Main St., was arrested on a warrant and charged with risk of injury to a minor and disorderly conduct.

Hacker was released on $15,000 bail for an appearance Monday in a Manchester Superior Court.

HARTFORD

Woman Is 4th Victim

Of Homicide In 2003

A woman who was found dead on a couch in the basement of a Hartford halfway house Wednesday was strangled, making her the city's fourth homicide victim of the year, police said Thursday.

The woman, believed to be in her late 30s, was not identified Thursday as police tried to find any family members who needed to be notified.

The woman was found Wednesday morning by a maintenance man at the building at 26 Russ St. He was checking the furnace when he noticed her slumped on a couch in a common living area, police said.

The maintenance man, who asked not to be identified, said he checked to see if the woman was sleeping, as the couch is used often by homeless people and drug addicts who sneak into the building to find warmth. When she didn't respond, he called police, he said.

Police said the woman was found amid used needles and other drug paraphernalia, which at first indicated she may have died of an overdose. But an autopsy by the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Thursday revealed that she had been strangled, police said.

The maintenance man and other residents in the building said they did not recognize the woman, and police said no one reported hearing or seeing anything unusual in the hours before the woman was discovered.

Anyone with information is asked to call detective Michael Lopez in the major crimes division at 860-527-7300.

HARTFORD

Police Sting Leads

To Drug Arrests

Hartford police made a significant drug seizure earlier this week after arresting two people who agreed to sell a half-kilogram of cocaine to an undercover police officer, department officials said.

Kevin Mendez, 25, and Jacqueline Rivas, 32, were charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell after they were caught selling a package containing more than 500 grams of uncut cocaine Tuesday, police said.

Sgt. Ronald Bair, a supervisor in the department's north services district, said officers in his squad recently received information from an informant that as much as 3 kilograms of cocaine was to be delivered to Mendez and Rivas.

Hartford police contacted the FBI and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, who helped set up the undercover purchase at 274 Franklin Ave. When Rivas and Mendez showed up Tuesday to sell the cocaine to an undercover officer in exchange for $10,000 cash, they were arrested, Bair said. Besides the drugs, he said, more than $2,000 cash was seized from the suspects.

Bair said the seized cocaine could have sold for tens of thousands of dollars on the street.

AREAWIDE

Salvation Army Board

Elects New Chairman

The Salvation Army of Greater Hartford Advisory Board has elected a new chairman and new members of the executive committee of the 35 member board.

Oliver B. Dickins of Simsbury, who is active in a number of civic groups in Greater Hartford, was elected chairman.